Boston Bar Association

Focus on Fellows

The Society of Fellows consists of an exemplary group of lawyers that are committed to supporting the community service endeavors of the BBF. Contributions from members help support the work of the BBF and build the Foundation’s endowment to ensure it can continue to fund essential programs and meet the evolving needs of the community in years to come.

Society of Fellows Newest Member - Marc Gary

Marc Gary, Executive Vice President and General Counsel of Fidelity Investments, is the newest member to join the Boston Bar Foundation's Society of Fellows. Marc has joined forces with top philanthropic attorneys who are committed to make a difference in improving the delivery of justice in Massachusetts. Marc says, "As a new member of the Board of Trustees of the BBF, I realize the critical importance of providing adequate funding for the provision of legal services to those who cannot otherwise afford a lawyer. I am proud to join the ranks of other like-minded attorneys who comprise the Society of Fellows." Welcome to the Society of Fellows Marc!

Congratulations Leiha Macauley!

This month, the BBF would like to congratulate Society of Fellows member Leiha Macauley who was recently featured in a NY Times article on “Planning for Income and Estate Taxes in an Uncertain Time.” Leiha, a partner at Day Pitney LLP, practices in the firm's Disabilities and Special Needs Planning and Probate Litigation and Controversies groups. Leiha serves as the Treasurer of the Boston Bar Foundation, and is the Co-Chair of the Estate Planning Committee of the BBA’s Trusts & Estates Section.

About her commitment to the Society of Fellows, Leiha explains, "One means of addressing many of the problems that beset poor families in Boston community is legal advocacy by competent, zealous members of the bar. The Boston Bar Foundation brings substantive and symbolic legal resources that facilitate and enhance that advocacy, which are essential to make equal access to justice a reality, not just a slogan. Joining the Society of Fellows has allowed me to play a meaningful role in this important contribution to our community."

For more information on the Society of Fellows, we invite you to attend the Open House Reception on January 11.

If you know a member of the Society of Fellows that should be featured in our next issue of the BBF Newsletter, please contact us at ccheung@bostonbar.org.

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BBA Summer Jobs Program Making a Difference, One Student at a Time

The summer of 2011 will mark the 17th year of the BBA’s Summer Jobs program; law firms, companies and legal departments have already started signing up to participate. A rapidly growing program, Summer Jobs is a collaboration between the BBA, Boston Public Schools, the City of Boston and the Boston Private Industry Council.  To date, the program has had a positive impact on the futures of over 300 ethnically and racially diverse local teenagers, who have been introduced to the legal profession and learned valuable lessons in workplace responsibilities.

The Boston Bar Foundation provides fellowships for students each year through funding from the M. Ellen Carpenter Fund and the Austin Jones Fund.  As we prepare for a record-breaking year, the BBF looks back at the experiences of some of last year’s Summer Jobs students.

Daissy Restrepo-Gomez participated in the 2010 program through a grant from the BBF’s M. Ellen Carpenter Fund, which supports programs that mentor young people and create opportunities for the personal and professional enrichment of Boston youth.  Daissy gained valuable practical skills during her internship at the Massachusetts Executive Office of Health and HUman Services, that she will be able to carry with her into the future. Reflecting on her experience, Daissy says “I love[d] waking up in the morning knowing that I work in a law office, and that I’ll learn something new that day. I’ve learned how much work it takes to be a lawyer and I’ve also learned that it carries many responsibilities.”

2010 Summer Jobs student Noelia Munoz shares a similar heartening experience, saying, “…I am starting to understand the importance of asking questions when I don’t understand something so I can get my work done perfectly. My experience [in the Summer Jobs program] has increased my interest in pursuing law as a profession….Even if I am not sure of becoming a lawyer; I know that it will be one of my first options!” Noelia’s position at the US Bankruptcy Court was funded by the BBF’s M. Ellen Carpenter Fund.

The BBA invites law firms, law offices and legal departments take part in inspiring the future generation of Boston's legal community. For more information on the program, or to commit to hiring a student for next summer, please click here or contact Stephanie Lee at slee@bostonbar.org or 617-778-1914.

To learn more about BBF Special Funds, or to make a donation to the M.Ellen Carpenter Fund or the Austin Jones Fund, click here.
 
A special thank you to firms and corporations that have already committed to the BBA 2011 Summer Jobs Program:
 
Boston Bar Association
Burns & Levinson LLP
Dwyer & Collora, LLP
Hinckley, Allen & Snyder LLP
Holland & Knight LLP
Nutter McClennen & Fish LLP
Proskauer Rose LLP
Sovereign Bank
Sugarman, Rogers, Barshak & Cohen, P.C.
Todd & Weld LLP
Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP

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Society of Fellows Open House Reception

We are honored to invite you and your colleagues to learn more about the mission of the BBF and celebrate the unity of the Society of Fellows members and their commitment to the Boston legal community at the Society of Fellows Open House Reception on January 11, 2011 at 5:30 pm.

We hope that you and your guests will be able to join us for this event at the Boston Bar Association, 16 Beacon Street. To RSVP for this event or for any questions, contact Christine Cheung at ccheung@bostonbar.org or 617-778-1930.

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Adams Benefit: MFA’s New Wing the Talk of the Town

From articles in the Globe to advertisements on the "T", news of the MFA's New "Art of the America's" wing has taken Boston by storm. On January 29th, more than 1,000 guests will have a chance to see this new wing first hand -- all while supporting the charitable goals of the Boston Bar Foundation (BBF).

The Boston Bar Foundation supports organizations and programs that advance access to justice in our community, expand opportunities for public service and help increase public understanding of the law.

This year's Adams Benefit will feature dinner, dancing, and a presentation awarding John Fish of Suffolk Construction Company with the BBF's prestigious 2011 Public Service Award. Throughout the benefit, attorneys, clients, and friends will have the opportunity to explore our nation's history through 53 new galleries and over 5,000 works of art.

Don't miss out on the Boston Bar Foundation's premiere charitable event of the year. For more information on sponsorship and ticket prices, please click here or contact Christine Cheung at ccheung@bostonbar.org or 617-778-1930.

Fifty-three local firms and companies have already committed to sponsoring this event.
Is your firm on the list?

Platinum Sponsors
Goodwin Procter LLP
Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo P.C.
Ropes & Gray LLP
Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP

Gold Sponsors
Choate Hall & Stewart LLP

Silver Sponsors
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of MA, Inc.
Brown Rudnick LLP
Citizens Bank
EMC Corporation
Raytheon Company

Bronze Sponsors
Bank of America Corporation
Burns & Levinson LLP
Fidelity Investments
Foley Hoag LLP
Greenberg Traurig, LLP
Hinckley, Allen & Snyder LLP
Holland & Knight, LLP
Kenney & Sams, P.C.
Liberty Mutual Group
Nutter McClennen & Fish LLP
Robins, Kaplan, Miller & Ciresi L.L.P.
Sovereign Bank

Participating Sponsors
Casner & Edwards, LLP
Charles River Associates
Conn Kavanaugh Rosenthal Peisch & Ford, LLP
Dwyer & Collora, LLP
Edwards Angell Palmer & Dodge LLP
Goulston & Storrs - A Professional Corporation
Harvard Pilgrim Healthcare, Inc.
Hemenway & Barnes LLP
Partners HealthCare
Proskauer LLP
Sherin and Lodgen LLP
Sugarman, Rogers, Barshak & Cohen, P.C.
Sullivan & Worcester LLP
Sunstein Kann Murphy & Timbers LLP
Todd & Weld LLP
Verrill Dana LLP
Yoss LLP

Advertisers
McGladery
 
Contributing Sponsors
Adler, Pollock & Sheehan PC
Beck Reed Riden LLP
Brennan, Dain, Le Ray, Wiest, Torpy & Garner, P.C.
Chu, Ring & Hazel LLP
Curry College
Elk Consulting Services LLC
Foley & Lardner LLP
Grant Thornton LLP
Janet E. Bostwick, PC
Law Office of Donald R. Lassman
Shapiro, Haber & Urmy, LLP

Patrons
Toni Wolfman

Spotlight on Bankruptcy and Real Estate Pro Bono

VLP and BBA Bankruptcy Section Help Pro Se Litigants

The BBA recently teamed up with the Volunteer Lawyers Project to create the Bankruptcy Pro Bono Initiative -- a program seeking to provide effective legal representation for pro se litigants filing for chapter 7 bankruptcy.

"There are many people in need. Additionally, the  Massachusetts Bankruptcy Judges have told us there is an overwhelming number of pro se filers in the system," said Bankruptcy Section Co-Chair Douglas Gooding of Choate Hall & Stewart. "This pro bono initiative seeks to provide access to justice for indigent debtors while reducing strain on the court."
 

To support and encourage attorneys to take on these cases, the Bankruptcy Pro Bono Committee recently sponsored a "Bankruptcy Basics" training seminar for volunteers.

"The seminar is designed to provide lawyers with limited prior individual chapter 7 bankruptcy the experience, knowledge and confidence to take on cases," said BBA Bankruptcy Pro Bono Committee Co-Chair Elaine Benkoski. "This vitally important pro bono initiative will provide desperately needed help for people who would otherwise be unable to access and negotiate the Bankruptcy Court system pro se and receive relief from crushing debt."

BBA Bankruptcy-related pro bono service, public service and civic programs are supported by the BBF Charles P. Normandin Fund, which was established in 2005 to honor Charlie’s contributions to the bankruptcy bar and his lifelong commitment to community service and education.

BBA Provides Access to Justice at Boston Housing Court

Over the past decade, volunteer lawyers have passed through the Boston Housing Court offering their assistance to unrepresented tenants and landlords on Eviction Day. As a joint effort of the Volunteer Lawyers Project, the Boston Housing Court and the BBA's Real Estate Section, the BBA Lawyer for the Day Program seeks to provide access to justice to pro se litigants though advice, mediation and litigating cases. The Boston Bar Foundation is proud to be a supporter of this program through the Herbert W. Vaughan Fund, which was established in 2009 in recognition of Mr. Vaughan’s exemplary leadership in establishing the Lawyer for the Day program. 

"The Lawyer for a Day Program allows lawyers who might otherwise not have the chance to give back to the community and serve the Commonwealth's system of justice" said Co-Chair of the Real Estate Pro Bono Committee, Bob Foster of Rackemann, Sawyer & Brewster. "It's good for the tenants and landlords who get the help of experienced and sophisticated real estate attorneys; it's good for the Housing Court, which sees pro se litigants get advice that makes their cases get resolved more quickly and fairly; and it's good for the lawyers who gain the satisfaction of helping their fellow citizens who are in need."

Over the course of the program's 11 year history, it is estimated that more than 1,100 lawyers have assisted over 14,000 individuals. In response to these staggering numbers and the pro se parties need for continued representation, the Lawyer for a Day Program expanded to include a litigation component where lawyers provide full representation to individuals involved in eviction trials.

"Many pro se litigants need volunteer attorneys who will take their case on a pro bono basis and represent them through trial" said Joanna Allison of the Volunteer Lawyers Project. "For many, this keeps them from losing their homes."

To learn more about the Bankruptcy Pro Bono Initiative or the Lawyer for a Day Program, contact Stephanie Lee at slee@bostonbar.org

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M. Ellen Carpenter Financial Literacy Program Seeks New Participants

Made possible by the BBF’s Charles P. Normandin Fund, the M. Ellen Carpenter Financial Literacy Program has reached over 350 volunteers and 1,300 students in the Boston and Greater Boston area. Now entering its seventh year, the program will be seeking the participation of new schools. The 2011 program will consist of five learning modules starting in February and lasting through April.

1. Personal Finances: This module discusses bank accounts, how to shop for a checking account (evaluating the costs and bank fees involved), how to write a check, how to use an ATM card or a debit card, and how to balance a checkbook.  It also addresses the issue of paychecks and taxes, including how to read an earnings statement, what deductions are customary for taxes and other employee benefits, and how to complete a W-4 tax form for calculating deductions.
   
   
2. Budgeting: The budgeting module focuses on the need to make choices in managing money.  The discussion will include what a budget is and why having one is a good idea, basic terms such as income (gross and net) and expenses (both variable and fixed), identifying short-term and long-term goals, and recognizing your money values (what you want to spend your money on).  As part of the module, students will learn about creating a budget and planning for spending.
   
   
3. Using Credit and Credit Cards:This module discusses credit in general as well as credit cards and how they work.  The session will provides context and explanation for credit card terms, such as Annual Percentage Rate, grace period, and minimum payments, and discuss the costs of credit, such as interests and fees, and the effect of making only minimum payments.  Students will discuss examples highlighting the difference in cost when purchasing an item on credit.  Finally, it will include a discussion about using credit cards wisely, such as tips for their use and questions to ask when making a purchase on credit.
   
   
4. Financing a Car: For many students, buying a car and financing it will be their first major purchase and financial transaction.  The module includes discussions on calculating how much a buyer can afford to finance, the actual and hidden costs of a car (such as taxes and fees, insurance, repair and maintenance), how to shop for a car loan and leasing vs. purchasing a vehicle. 
   
   
5. Consequences: This module provides a potential opportunity for a field trip to the Bankruptcy Court, where a sitting bankruptcy judge and practitioners would present the module in the courtroom setting.  The discussion includes what happens when you get into financial trouble, highlighting penalties such as increased interest rates on credit cards and late fees, the impact of bad credit (and how to obtain and read a credit report), and the risk of repossession of purchased items.  It also includes a description and brief overview of bankruptcy.  For those classes taught in the courtroom, the module will include one or more brief mock hearings designed to highlight the consequences and risks, such as a relief from stay hearing regarding repossession of a car, and the initial meeting with creditors.

Students who participate are generally high school juniors and seniors in the Boston and Greater Boston area.  If you know of a high school that can benefit from this program, please contact Stephanie Lee at slee@bostonbar.org or 617-778-1914.

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